You and Me, Like a Beautiful Melody
by kingfalchuk
Summary: A collection of my drabbles and one shots previously posted on tumblr. Each chapter can be read as a totally new story, some are AU, some are canon up to a certain point, they all vary in length and rating.
1. the first kiss

**A/N: **Hello! I know most of you have read these drabbles and one shots on tumblr, but I have some readers who aren't on tumblr and I thought I would share these with them all. New chapters will be added once they've been posted on tumblr. Enjoy!

* * *

His first day of high school goes all to plan… except for the fact that he ended up in none of the same classes as his best friend, Rachel. He hasn't seen her since they got to school in the morning and well, he really needs to see her again.

He waits outside his locker, just like they planned, to wait for her.

He paces the floor, wondering where she is and almost 15 minutes passes before he decides to call her. But before he can press the green phone icon he hears a faint giggle.

And he knows that giggle anywhere. It's Rachel.

"Rach?" He calls out and she's gotta put a hand over her mouth to stop her from giggling again.

She stands on her toes and peeks out the holes in the door, and all she sees is Finn, looking around for her, but she's no where to be seen.

She slips and bangs her elbow on the door, a loud crashing sound echoing in the hallway. Finn's head darts around to his locker and she sees his smirk before he opens the door.

He's met with the brightest smile he's ever seen and he finds it impossible not to grin back at her like a fool. "Hello."

"Hi Finn." She says sweetly, and he watches as her hair falls around her shoulders. He takes a step closer, so they're almost touching and she reaches out and drags her finger down his cheek.

"Why were you in there?"

"I wanted to surprise you." She replies softly, her grin never leaving her face.

"You did." And he suddenly gets the urge to kiss her. So he does. Her hands fall to her sides and she stands there, stunned. She doesn't kiss him back, but she doesn't pull away either.

His knees start to hurt and he realises it's his awkward size and the fact that he has to bend down to kiss her even though she's still standing in his locker. It's pure bliss for the few seconds that it lasts before he pulls away, grinning at her.

She shyly smiles back, then ducks her head. "Hey," he says, his finger moving underneath her chin, gently pulling her head back up, "i'm sorry."

She shakes her head and leans forward, pressing their lips together once again. He holds her around the waist as she stumbles out of the locker, breaking their kiss.

"Don't be sorry Finn." She shuts his locker and grabs his hand, locking their fingers together. "I wanted to do that too."

And as they walk down the corridor, hands clasped tightly together, he finds himself wondering how he ever managed to find someone as perfect as her.


	2. in the snow

"But Fiiiiiinn," she whines, trailing along behind him. "Can't we just go back inside, my boots are getting wet." She pouts.

"Rachel, it's just over there." He says, grabbing her hand in an attempt to get her to walk faster.

She takes his hand, "but when I agreed to let you take me on an adventure in the Canadian wilderness I had no idea it would be in the middle of winter!"

He just laughs.

"It isn't funny!" She practically yells, dropping his hand. "I'm staying here Finn! It's too far away." She tries to stomp her foot in the snow, but doesn't get the desired effect.

He keeps walking. "Okay, Rach. But be careful. I wouldn't want the bears to get you."

She catches up with him pretty quickly after that comment. He laughs again, pulling her close. "Do you even know where you're going?"

"Of course I do. I used to come here all the time."

"I swear Finn Hudson if you get me lost I will… I will never have sex with you again!" He just laughs at her once more.

They walk in silence for a few more minutes, their arms wrapped around each other. He stops suddenly, looking at the trees around him. "This is it." He tells her, unfolding the picnic blanket and lying it down on the ground.

"You expect me to sit on that?"

"Yeah, I do." He says, lying down himself.

"Well i'm not, i'm just going to stand here." She glares at him. He nods, looking up into the sky.

"Okay." He says simply, looking at her quickly.

She stands there for less than a minute, shifting on her feet. "Finn…" She says softly, he looks at her again. "I'm cold."

He resists the urge to roll his eyes. He doesn't say anything, just rolls onto his side and opens his arms for her. She lies down in his arms, burying her face into his chest. He listens to her heavy breathing for a couple of minutes before she pulls her face back from his chest.

"Better." She says, closing the gap and pressing her lips against his.

"Good." They roll onto their backs and he takes her hand, locking their fingers together. He lets out a deep breath.

"Over there," he begins, pointing to the left, "was where my dad used to bring me."

She sees the tears in the corner of his eyes. "You don't have to continue."

He nods. "I was about six then. I don't really remember."

She wipes one of his tears away and snuggles back up to him. He takes a few minutes to compose himself, looking out into the snow.

"Thank you." He whispers, leaning down to kiss her softly. She kisses him back instantly, her tongue slipping into his mouth, their hands still clasped tightly together.

She wants to ask "what for?" but he's pulling her close again, tucking her head underneath his chin. Neither of them know how long they stay like that and Finn swears he falls asleep for a while.

"Finn?" she says quietly, poking him in the chest, repeating her actions when he doesn't respond. "Finn!"

He jerks awake, smiling when he sees Rachel. "We need to go, it's getting dark." He sees the worry in her eyes.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing." She's lying.

"Rachel, I know you. What is wrong."

She leans closer to him, "I don't want the bears to get me," she whispers into his ear. He lets out a huge chuckle, unable to keep that one in.

She pouts, getting up. "Don't laugh at me. I'm scared of them."

He gets up too. "Rachel, there are no bears… they're _hibernating_!"

"Finn Hudson!" She hits his chest repeatedly. "How dare you! I hate you, I hate you, _I hate you_."

"No you don't."

"I don't." She confirms, looking to the ground. "I love you."

"I love you too." He tells her, grabbing her hand.

"But for that, you have to give me a piggy ride back home."

"Deal."


	3. there's one thing missing

**A/N: **Kinda based on 'The Moment I Knew' by Taylor Swift. Yeah, I know it's not the happiest thing i've ever written, but I feel like I just had to write it. It made me cry when I was writing it.

* * *

I smooth my sparkly dress out and check my red lipstick in the mirror before the guests start to arrive. It doesn't even feel like my birthday, it doesn't feel special. I owe Kurt so much, he arranged this entire party for me. He knows I miss everyone from Lima, so he put together a party and they all came to New York, just for me.

I hug everyone as they come through the door, Puck and Mike, Mercedes and Brittany, even Sugar managed to come. But as I watch them all gather in my small apartment, I realize that something - no, someone is missing. Finn.

He should be here, smiling that smile he saves just for me when he walks through the door. I imagine it would be the best feeling in the world just seeing him here.

The Christmas lights twinkle around the room as I absentmindedly nod to Puck and Sam in front of me, having a conversation I know nothing about. I'm watching the door, hoping he's just late. But I notice that the time is slowly slipping away, i'm starting to think he won't show at all.

"So Rachel, how have you been?" Sam asks, turning to me when Puck walks away to get another drink.

I look up at him for a few seconds, trying to come up with a suitable answer. "Fine." I say, he probably knows i'm lying as I remember what Finn said to me on the phone earlier that week.

_"You're coming, right?" I ask, "you're my best friend Finn!"_

_"Yeah, of course, Rach." He replies, "I wouldn't miss it for anything."_

I snap back to reality when Santana screams on the other side of the room. And as I look around the room, everything seems to blur and move in slow motion like i'm not really standing here.

It feels like the room is spinning, it feels like some kind of sick dream. I'm watching all of my best friends laughing and enjoying this party. A party all for me. A party i'm not even enjoying. It's because of him. I miss seeing him. He brings unity to this group of people. It's almost like I don't fit in when he's not here.

Hours later, he's still not here. Not even a simple phone call or a text. I feel like I just need to be alone. No one would even notice if I left for a few minutes, would they?

I slip away, through the curtains and into my room, falling face first onto my bed. I feel my bed dip, and I look up to see Puck sitting on the edge, and Sam standing right behind him.

"He said he'd be here." I look at them for a minute or so, trying to hard to stop my tears from falling. But after a while I can't hold them in anymore, and I let them out, my body shaking from the sobs. I'm pulled into Puck's chest, my tears wetting his shirt. Sam sits down on my other side, and rubs his hand up and down my back. Suddenly, I don't feel so alone.

Neither of them says anything, but they don't need to.

They eventually get me to stop crying, and they take me back out to everyone. I look around again, they're all still laughing and joking around. He still isn't here. I sit down and Puck brings me a drink. It's probably alcoholic, so I sip it carefully.

Tina sits down beside me, hugging me awkwardly. "Hey Rachel."

"Hello Tina. I've missed you." I say, hugging her back.

"How is Finn?" She asks and I stop everything. I feel the tears prickle in my eyes and it's not long before they're falling freely down my face. I open my mouth to say something, but what am I supposed to say when everyone I know is watching me as I sob over Finn again.

What do I do when the one person who means the world to me is the one person who didn't show up?

Finn should have been here. I would have been so happy, instead of crying at the mention of his name.

Suddenly the lights dim and Artie comes over to me, a birthday cake in his lap, the candles burning. They start singing 'happy birthday' to me and everything blurs again. As I look around, all I want to do is cry again. Santana pulls me in for a hug as they finish singing and i'm crying again.

He's still missing.

Long after everyone leaves, my phone rings. I look at the screen and I see that it's him. I try to decide what to do, but on the fifth ring, I press answer.

"Rachel…"

I don't say anything back. He deserves to know i'm angry at him.

"I'm sorry I didn't make it."

"Yeah, i'm sorry too." My voice sounds shaky. He can probably tell i've been crying.

I hang up quickly, burying my face into my pillow as I cry again. I know Kurt can hear me as I cry myself to sleep again.


	4. just you and me

**A/N: **Finn & Rachel and New Year's Eve. I'll just let you read it.

* * *

"It's 10pm, alright, you're up Berry."

Rachel lets out a breath, fixing her hair carefully with her fingers. "Okay," she tells herself, "you can do this." She walks up the stairs slowly, cautious not to trip and fall. Pulling her dress down, and stepping into the middle of the stage, she's suddenly aware of the fact that more than a million people are watching her right now. Not to mention all of the people watching from home.

She steps closer to the microphone. "Hi," she says nervously, "I'm Rachel Berry, I'm a student at the New York Academy of Dramatic Arts, and I'm here to sing for you tonight."

She hears the band start the music behind her and she looks across at Carmen Tibideaux, silently asking if there's a way she can get out of this now. There isn't. Carmen smiles at her, the kind of smile she saves for someone she believes in. Rachel can do this. She nods slowly back, her own smile spreading on her face.

Rachel turns back to the audience, closes her eyes and sings the first line of the song, her adrenaline taking the place of her nervousness. She almost bursts into tears at the reaction of the people in the crowd, the ones she can see are jumping up and down, screaming and singing along. This is the feeling she's been looking for.

Finn kicks a rock down the street while he walks towards the bar he's supposed to be meeting Puck and Quinn in tonight. Nothing like being a third wheel on New Year's Eve. He's totally going to regret coming out with them tonight. They go to the same bar basically every week, so Finn doesn't really understand why they're going to the same place tonight. Isn't it the night to do something different, something you don't necessarily think you'd ever do?

He's walking past the concert in Times Square, something Finn's never been too fond of. Too many people, and he's alone, which means he's definitely not going to get his midnight kiss and all he gets to watch is hundreds of people kissing around him. No thanks. He's lost all hope of ever experiencing that magical moment.

But as soon as he hears her start to sing, he stops dead to listen to her and he thinks that maybe all hope isn't lost just yet.

As she keeps singing, she keeps looking around, a few familiar faces in the sea of people. She can see her best friend, Tina, on the side of the stage off to the right and her dads, squished somewhat awkwardly in the middle, one of them yelling, "she's my daughter!"

She focuses herself back on the song, singing the last few lines with as much passion as she can. As soon as she finishes, the crowd erupts into cheer for her, only for her. This is the moment she's waited her whole life for.

She beams and the crowd keeps clapping. "Thank you very much New York!" She looks towards Tina, who is hysterically crying on her right. Everyone is jumping up and down, still screaming and clapping. Everyone, she notices, except one person. He's a tall guy, perhaps around the same age as her, and he's standing right behind Tina. He's looking up at Rachel like he's completely enthralled with her, a mysterious smirk on his face.

She's suddenly very much aware of where she is, and looks back in the audience. Luckily, not many of them notice she's been standing there for longer than she should have. "Happy New Year!" She says loudly into the microphone, turning away and walking down the stairs and off the stage.

Tina's at her side in a second, still crying as she pulls Rachel into a tight hug. "You were so, so amazing Rachel, they're so lucky to have you."

"Thanks Tina," she says, smiling at her best friend.

"I just can't believe it. My best friend sang on stage in Times Square on New Year's Eve." She bursts into tears again, her words all mumbling into one.

"I'll just go grab my things, Tina." Rachel says, pushing her best friend off her shoulder, "I'll be right back."

She rolls her eyes as she walks towards the makeshift tent set up for the performers and their personal belongings. Tina can be a bit of a handful sometimes. The security guard lets her into the tent, and she quickly grabs her bag and her jacket. She's free for the rest of the night and promised Tina they'd go out or something.

But when she gets back to Tina, she sees that she's having her own fun without Rachel. She's making out frantically with a guy, Rachel doesn't even know who he is.

"Tina!" She practically screams, "come on, let's go."

Tina ignores her as she keeps kissing this stranger. Rachel taps her on the shoulder. "Tina, come on!"

"Rachel," Tina says between kisses, "You go ahead. I'm gonna stay with Mike." She returns to kissing him and Rachel rolls her eyes again.

"Whatever." She mumbles, turning away. She's glad they didn't have any real plans tonight, so she's free to go back home and watch the ball drop on television.

"I hate it when that happens." She jumps in surprise, looking over to see the same guy who was watching her on stage, the smirk still on his lips.

"What?"

He points to Tina. "I hate it when my friends do that. And then act like I don't matter anymore."

"Yeah, it's the worst." She replies, swaying awkwardly on her heels.

"I have friends like that. But I uh, ditched them tonight." He says, laughing. "I hope they know I'm not going to be joining them tonight."

She laughs and looks back at Tina, who is still attached to Mike.

"So, what are you doing for New Year's?" He asks, moving a step closer.

"Well I was going to perform and then go out with Tina, but since she's occupied, I think I'm just going to head home." She tells him.

"Oh, you were really great up there, by the way." He points to the stage. "But you're not going to stay here and watch the ball drop?"

She shakes her head. "No… I don't like watching all the happy couples kiss."

He opens his mouth before he can control what he's saying. "I'll be your New Year's kiss, I mean, if you want me to be."

She pauses. "I don't even know your name."

"Finn Hudson." He answers simply. 'What's yours?"

"Rachel Berry."

"Well Rachel Berry, I will be your New Year's kiss."

She contemplates it for a minute, biting down on her lip. New Year is the time to start fresh, to do unexpected things. "Okay."

"Well, come on then," he says, holding out his arm for her to take. "We have just over an hour to get to know each other a little better."

She smiles before taking his arm.

They sit down on the sidewalk, not too far from everyone in Times Square. They're both wearing those silly hats as they drink the cheap beer they got from the Seven Eleven down the street. She takes a drink, wipes her mouth on the back of her hand and giggles. So perhaps she's a little tipsy right now, but most of the people around are.

She moves closer to him, resting her head on his shoulder as she breathes out. "Thank you Finn." She says, placing her hand on his arm. "For making me feel better. I would have had a terrible night at home."

"It's fine, really. I would have had a terrible night too."

She stands, swaying slightly with the music. "Dance with me?" He sighs, but agrees, standing too, joining her in the middle of the mostly deserted street. She wraps her arms around his waist and he places his arms around her too. She starts humming something, swaying back and forth with the melody of the music.

She looks up when she hears the countdown start. "59, 58, 57…"

She tries to pull him towards Times Square. "Come on Finn."

"Go where, why can't we do it here?"

"51, 50, 49…"

"Finn Hudson, we're going to do it right." She pulls him by the hand towards the crowds in Times Square. She stops, sinking back into his embrace to watch the ball drop.

"38, 37, 36…"

He feels around for her hand, threading their fingers together when he finds it. This simple gesture makes her insides flutter and her heart beat faster. He hugs her from behind, the front of his body pressing right up against her back.

"18, 17, 16…"

When there's fifteen seconds left she's struck with the idea that what she's about to do is totally crazy and so unlike her. But nothing's going to stop her from doing it.

"6, 5, 4…"

She spins around in his arms, breathing in as she looks up at him. He's already looking down at her with the sweetest look in his eyes. She nods once, to let him know she still wants this to happen, and before she knows it, he's pressing his lips against hers as the final second of 2012 passes.

His mouth moves carefully over hers and she opens her mouth wider, encouraging him to kiss her deeper. She stands up on her toes as he pushes his tongue into her mouth, and she holds back a moan when she threads her fingers through his hair, tugging to pull him closer.

The fireworks continue in the background, but neither of them really care. In fact, it's almost as if the entire world has disappeared. She breaks away, sinking back down to her proper height, blushing and looking down. He wraps his arm around her shoulders and pulls her into his side.

She thought that the feeling of applause was the feeling that she'd been searching for. But it's not, it's the feeling of being wanted, and now, she understands what that feels like too.

"You know," she begins, still looking down, "the kiss you share with someone on New Year's Eve is supposed to set the tone for the entire year. It's all about strengthening the relationship you wish to keep in the future."

He smiles. "Well Rachel Berry," he says, playing with the ends of her hair, "the year has only just begun. Care to celebrate with me?"

She nods and he bends down to kiss her once more, just 'cause he can.


	5. been on my mind

**A/N: **Kinda my take on 4x14, based on spoilers and my imagination. inspiration and title from _get back_ by demi lovato. dedicated to nenne.

* * *

"Please," she whispers into the dark room, her eyes still closed, "don't leave again."

He stops in his tracks, a guilty look on his face. "Look, Rachel, this was a mistake." He pauses. "You know that."

"So the fact that we just slept together doesn't change anything between us?" She sits up in the bed, pulling the sheets tighter around her body. His shoulders drop and he walks to the bed, sitting at the other end, head in his hands.

They stay silent for a few minutes, the only sound in the room is the heavy breathing between them. She glances at the clock. _2:38 am_. He lifts his head from his hands and glances at her

"I.. I-" she hesitates, and he encourages her to go on, "after we broke up," she winces at those words as she says them, "I couldn't stop thinking about you, you know?" he doesn't say anything, so she continues, "f-for a while, you stopped answering your phone. I even tried using Kurt's phone, but you wouldn't answer when I did that either." He looks up at her. "I was a mess, Finn," she whispers the next part so quietly that he's not quite sure she even says it, "I'm still a mess."

His eyes flick up to her face, and he immediately sees the tears running down her cheeks. He leans across and runs his thumb over her cheeks, collecting her tears before they fall all the way down. He's sure he just crossed the line. She sits up more, pulling the sheets even tighter around herself.

He still hasn't said a word and Rachel's not really sure if that's a good thing or not. She relaxes against the headboard, taking the sheet with her, and Finn shifts on the end of the bed, but he doesn't move any closer. She likes that he knows when to keep his distance. Something Brody doesn't know how to do.

"Do you remember," she begins after almost 10 minutes of total silence. "when we were in high school and it was Valentine's Day and we were at my house and I wouldn't let you use my bathroom?"

She waits a while for his answer. He smiles slightly, she thinks that's good enough, she continues. "And you got mad at me so you stormed out and I threw my hairbrush at you?"

He smiles again, bigger this time, so she smiles too. "Yeah. I remember that." He says softly.

"Well I miss that about us. N-not the fighting, but the way that we could make up so quickly when we did." She sees him nod in the dark room.

"Finn?" She asks, placing her head on the pillow. He looks at her, "I - I miss us. A lot."

He nods. "I miss us too."

"Come here."

"Rachel," he says, "I don't think that's the best idea."

"Do you regret it? Sleeping with me?" She asks, her eyes filling with tears.

He doesn't hesitate to answer. "Not at all."

"You still have my heart," she says and he smiles at her. "You'll always have my heart."

"You still have mine too, Rach, always."

"Good. So, come here?"

He sighs, slipping his shoes off and crawling to her. "Are you sure?" She nods. "Cause once we do this… there really is no turning back."

"I know."

He gets under the covers, and lies beside her. Close enough so he knows she's there, but he doesn't reach out and touch her. He doesn't want to mess things up again.

She rolls over to face him, staying to her side of the bed. "When I was in New York," she pauses, "you were the only guy I ever wanted. You are the only guy i'll _ever_ want."

He reaches up and brushes the hair from her forehead, and she has to bite her lip to stop herself from kissing him right then. She closes her eyes, letting her guard down in front of him. That's another thing she loves about Finn… the fact that she feels so comfortable around him, even though things should be so awkward and broken. She thinks that feeling is like being home.

"Even though I have Kurt and - and," she whispers the next word like she knows it's going to hurt him, "Brody in New York, I can't help but feel lonely. Neither of them are really there for me. Truth is, they'll only be around if they want something from me. It's kind of annoying, really."

She shifts closer to him, so their bodies are touching, just a bit. "You're the _only_ person I need. And Finn?"

"Yeah?"

"I don't want to be lonely anymore, _please_?"

She's inviting him back to New York with her, he knows that. And he knows her, she wants her fairytale ending, and he's the only one who can give it to her.

"Please?" She asks again, scooting even closer to him. She slowly moves her hand up his chest and across to his back.

He sighs, closing his eyes for a second. "Rach," he whispers, his own hand moving to her back, "I can't stay away from you, I just can't." She leans forward and kisses his bare chest, and he runs his fingers through her hair. "So… when Mr Schue comes back, i'll do it. I'll move to New York. To be with _you_."

She pulls back, the look of absolute shock on her face. "Seriously?" She squeaks, probably a little too loud for the middle of the night, especially in a hotel room.

He looks at her with soft eyes. "Yeah, seriously, I mean it Rach."

She's laughing as hugs him tight again, murmuring "thank you" into his chest over and over again. He holds her for a while, holding her as close as he can, pressing their bodies even closer together.

"I think you just made me the happiest girl in the whole world." She laughs. "Wait. I _know_ you just made me the happiest girl in the whole world. Thank you."

"You're all I need Rachel."

"Kiss me," she whispers. "Kiss me like you've missed me more than anything."

"Well I have missed you more than anything." He tells her and she giggles, but he cuts her off as he attaches her lips to hers. It's not long before she's kissing him back, pushing her tongue inside his mouth, moving it with his like they haven't kissed in years. Truth is, it's only really been a few hours since they kissed. He pushes her onto her back, keeping his weight to the side, as he kisses her more passionately than he can ever remember.

But she doesn't care about anything else anymore. She's got the one thing she wants, and needs, more than anything else in the world. She's got Finn.

She pulls back once she feels dizzy and she leans her forehead against his. "I love you Finn Hudson, more than anything."

"More than Broadway? More than New York?" He jokes.

She giggles and pushes his chest playfully, as best as she can. "A lot more than Broadway, and definitely more than New York."

"I love you too Rachel Berry, _god_, so, so much." He says, slipping his hand further down on her body. "I don't ever want to lose you again."

"You won't. You've got me." She whispers, obviously tired. "Forever, this time. I promise."

"Forever." He echoes, pressing a kiss into her hair.

He hears her whisper "forever" again before she falls asleep in his arms. He drifts off only minutes later, and he knows it's going to be the best sleep he's had in a very long time.


	6. lonely beds, different cities

**A/N: **Rachel Berry and her thoughts. Set after 4x14. Speculation fic. Title from _Sad Beautiful Tragic_ by Taylor Swift.

* * *

She realises at two in the morning, her mind wandering because she couldn't fall asleep quickly. And now she thinks that she may be pregnant. There may be a tiny baby boy or girl already growing inside of her. She slips out of bed quietly, careful not to wake Brody up, she wouldn't want to explain this to him right now.

She walks across the apartment to the bathroom, shutting the door as quietly as she can; she'd rather not explain this to Kurt or Santana either. She sits on the lid of the toilet and runs her hands over her face. It's almost been four weeks since the wedding, since the night she last had sex. She washes her face with warm water, silently telling herself that everything is going to be okay, even if she knows it won't be if she is pregnant. She'll get a pregnancy test tomorrow when she's alone.

She leaves the bathroom with more on her mind, her thoughts mostly taken up by the tall boy with the amber eyes who lives back in Lima. She thinks about him and makes a mental note not to say anything before she finds out if she is with child or not. She wouldn't dare put him through a second pregnancy scare before he's twenty.

She slips back into bed, beside Brody, who has taken up most of the space while she was gone. She balances herself, almost on the edge, careful not to touch him. It's eight in the morning when she realises she didn't get more than an hour's sleep.

Brody barely says two words to her before he's out the door, and she's kinda thankful for that. She's not exactly in the mood to speak to him, especially knowing that she might be carrying Finn's baby. Kurt has a few classes in the morning, and he hugs her goodbye before he leaves too. Santana doesn't exactly have anywhere to be, but Rachel knows she sleeps in until one in the afternoon, and figures out that this is the best time for her to take the pregnancy test.

She picks up two pregnancy tests and a bottle of water at the pharmacy a few blocks from the apartment. The guy on the register gives her a weird look and she knows he's thinking that she looks too young to even want one of those tests. She doesn't even pretend to care.

Her walk back the apartment takes longer, so she pulls her coat tighter around her body and lets her thoughts drift back to Finn. She remembers back to when he did _Grease_ with the glee club, and how he said _no contact, not even in song_. She thinks that was because he knew, even subconsciously, that things would end up like this if they sung together.

She wants to hate him, but she can't, not after the wedding night and how he treated her with such care and love. She knows they still love each other, and if it's possible, she thinks the bond between them is stronger now, baby or not. He told her about flowers, it's a weird thing to talk with Finn about, but the more she thinks about it, the more it makes sense. Flowers die in the winter and then come back over spring. He's referring to their relationship. It died over winter, and perhaps it'll start back up again when spring starts. She hopes so.

She thinks more about that night with Finn, how they fit so well together, even after months apart. Like two puzzle pieces that fit perfectly together. They're always going to be like that. They're Finn and Rachel, after all. But her mind goes back to Brody, and she notes that their relationship is not as strong as the relationship she has with Finn, and it never will be. She just thinks that she and Brody are the wrong two puzzle pieces to put together, that they're never going to fit. It doesn't matter how many times you try to force them together.

She's walking up the stairs to the apartment before she realises it, and she hopes that Santana is still sleeping because she certainly doesn't want to have a discussion with her right now.

She fiddles in the bathroom before taking the test, setting it on the edge of the sink and sitting back to wait until it's ready. She thinks about Finn again. How gentle he was with her the night of the wedding, like he was scared that she'd break or run away. And she feels so bad for leaving him asleep in that hotel room, but he knew the night was only going to end like that, didn't he?

The timer on her phone beeps before she's ready to know the result, so she sits there for another minute, her heart beating faster and faster with each passing second. Carefully, she picks the stick up, her eyes clamped shut so she doesn't catch a glimpse of the result before she's ready for it. She turns the stick in her hands, opening her eyes slowly, so she's squinting and looks at the result. One word. _Pregnant. _

The tears fall down her cheeks before she even realises what it means. She's pregnant with Finn Hudson's child and he doesn't even know. She should call him.

She doesn't call him. She just curls up on the couch with her favourite blanket, her tears clouding her vision as she tries to watch Funny Girl. She's supposed to be going to an afternoon class in twenty minutes, and she knows she'll get a call from Brody when she doesn't turn up. She won't answer it. She pauses Funny Girl and turns the television off, twirling the stick in her hand as she feels the tears roll down her cheeks again.

Santana wakes up about twenty minutes before one, and comes out into the living room to find Rachel crying on the couch. She's by Rachel's side in an instant, pulling the stick from her hands as Rachel cries hysterically. Santana looks at the stick for longer than Rachel thinks she needs to before placing it on the table and pulling Rachel in for a hug.

Santana pulls back after a minute. "Who?"

Rachel wipes her eyes and takes a deep breath. "Finn." She sighs. "At the wedding. Please don't tell anyone."

"Okay." Santana says, giving Rachel a sincere look and pulling her back into her embrace. Rachel just cries into her shoulder until she falls asleep.

When Rachel wakes up it's the next morning. She can hear Santana and Kurt fighting over something else, and Rachel hopes she didn't tell Kurt already. Her heart drops at the thought of it. She joins them in the kitchen, pulling a sweater over her head. Santana rushes to her side in an instant, and from the look on Kurt's face he doesn't know anything.

"Kurt doesn't know. Also, I kicked Brody out." Santana whispers in her ear before rushing off again, mumbling things under her breath.

Rachel nods and curls herself on the couch again, placing her head on the arm rest. She's almost asleep when there's a loud knock on the door. Santana starts cursing in a mix of Spanish and English, and from what Rachel can tell _he's too early_. Who is too early?

She doesn't move from her spot on the couch to see who's at the door, but she can hear Santana fussing over whoever it is. "On the couch." Santana says, and suddenly Rachel's more interested on who is in the apartment. She listens, but she can't tell who it is without hearing their voice or seeing their face.

But she doesn't have to think about it anymore when two strong, familiar arms wrap around her, pulling her as close as they can. It's the feeling of being home again, like she's finally safe. The tears well up in her eyes and she cries into his shirt, breathing _Finn_ into his chest as she tries to hold him closer. She's glad Santana told him.

"Shh, Rach." He says, so sweet, so caring. She's missed him so much. "Everything will be okay, i'm here now. I'm not going anywhere."

She thinks he's crying too, and as he lays with her on the couch, his words of _i'm here now, it's alright_ being muttered into her hair as he rubs his hand up and down her back, she doesn't think she's ever loved anybody more than she loves him now.

And for the first time since she arrived in New York, she thinks she's finally where she truly belongs.


End file.
